Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a memorial vigil for Israelis killed on October 7 after New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani made an appearance at the event in Union Square.
In videos captured by bystanders, protesters screamed that Mayor Mamdani was a traitor as he left with his security team. One woman yelled, “You opportunist piece of st!” while others chanted, “Mamdani, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!”
The demonstrators also accused the mayor of failing to take sufficient action against Israel.
The vigil took place on the anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others. Organizers read accounts from Israelis who lost loved ones and included testimonies from Palestinians about conditions in Gaza.
During the disruption, protesters chanted for nearly an hour, with some shouting “Allahu Akbar” and holding signs reading “Bomb ‘Israel’ bye!”
Mayor Mamdani appeared stone-faced and angry as he exited the event. Earlier that day, he had written a statement condemning Israel’s military response to October 7 as part of an ongoing genocide.
